2019 elections: BJP wants to improve performance in Telangana, says Ram Madhav

With eye on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Monday the party has deputed three central leaders to look after its affairs in Telangana as it wants to improve its performance in the state.

Madhav, who handles party affairs in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, said he would work for the party's victory in some of the Lok Sabha seats in Telangana.

He held a meeting with Telangana BJP president K Laxman and other party leaders here on Monday.

"We have won in Secunderabad (Lok Sabha) seat out of 17 in Telangana. The remaining 16 seats have been divided among three central leaders to improve the BJP's chances in the remaining 16 seats.

"As part of that, I will also put special attention on some seats and try to lead them towards victory," he told reporters.

Madhav would work for the BJP's success in constituencies in northern Telangana districts, including Medak.

He expressed confidence that the BJP would win a maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections.

The BJP is the only alternative to the state's ruling TRS and it will try to win the maximum possible number of assembly seats as well, he said.

Assembly polls in Telangana would be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP has started an exercise to win two-thirds majority or about 350 seats in the Lok Sabha in the next elections, Madhav said.

The TRS government in Telangana has not been effective in implementation of its poll promises and its rule resembled "Nizam rule", he alleged, referring to the Nizam of Hyderabad.

"We are closely studying the contemporary political situation in this state. The administration here is going on as if it is in no way inferior to Nizam's rule," he said.

The TRS government is misusing government systems with its "brute majority" by denying democratic space to the opposition parties, he alleged.

Replying to a query, Madhav reiterated BJP president Amit Shah's remarks that the BJP would fight it alone against the TRS government.

"Senior leaders like Amit Shah came and told categorically, clearly that we are going to fight against this government. The BJP is going to go it alone and fight all-out against the TRS," he said.

Asked about some Union ministers appreciating some schemes of the TRS government and the state BJP unit criticising them, Madhav said such appreciation by the Union ministers cannot be construed as "political endorsement of the TRS party".

PTI